Putting an end to the campaign by right-wing groups alleging the involvement of Muslim fundamentalist groups from Kerala in the alleged murder of a right-wing activist, the Mangaluru city police have arrested three persons in connection with the murder of Raj. Among the arrested, is Kavyashree, the victim’s younger sister.
The body of Raj, 27, son of Umesh Ganiga, former Mangaluru Taluk Panchayat president representing the BJP, had been found near Konaje police station on the outskirts of the city on October 22, 2016.
BJP activists and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh members termed this murder an act of Muslim fundamentalist groups from Kerala and had staged protests. Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, steered controversy with his statement last year, that BJP activists were capable of setting Dakshina Kannada on fire if the accused were not arrested at the earliest.
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Briefing reporters on Saturday, M. Chandra Sekhar, Mangaluru Police Commissioner, said a special police team headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Valentine D’Souza, was formed in March to trace the accused in the “virtually blind case where not much clues about suspects were available.” .
The team arrested Kavyashree, 25, Goutam, 26, and his friend Gourav, 19.
Mr. Sekhar said Ms. Kavyashree worked in the Kanachur Hospital and did not have a healthy relationship with her brother Raj. She offered her colleague Gautam a sum of ₹5 lakh to kill her brother.
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Gautam agreed to the crime as he needed money for construction of the house. Gautam and Gaurav hit Karthik Raj with iron rods leading to his death.